I think we underestimate how many of these things are actually floating around. Tons of people have some for painting, sanding, wildfires, construction, etc. They're used extensively in all kinds of jobs. Just 3M, before the crisis, was making 50 million masks a month.
People need to dig around in their garage and get these things out, and then start wearing them. Even the disposable ones can be reused many times, particularly for someone that is just at the grocery store and not intubating COVID patients or something.
I'm sympathetic to the argument that healthcare workers need them, but healthcare workers also need people to wear them so that they don't get sick and show up at the hospital!
People need to dig around in their garage and get these things out, and then start wearing them. Even the disposable ones can be reused many times, particularly for someone that is just at the grocery store and not intubating COVID patients or something.
I'm sympathetic to the argument that healthcare workers need them, but healthcare workers also need people to wear them so that they don't get sick and show up at the hospital!